Bone grafts and bone substitutes in implant dentistry

An adequate volume of bone is one of the factors critical to successful osseointegration and long-term retention of endosseous dental implants. In situations where inadequate bone volumes exist, specially atrophic mandible, osseous ridge augmentation procedures often are necessary for predictable implant therapy. Grafts are fundamental for regenerating and repairing of bone tissue. Moreover, several types of filling biomaterials have been evaluated for bone regeneration and the choice of the biomaterial mostly depends on its features and application site. Autogenous bone grafts are generally considered one of the more ideal augmentation materials. Many different techniques have been developed to reconstruct deficient alveolar jaws. According to bone graft technique, after the surgical exposure and the removal of any irregularity of the residual ridge, autologous bone blocks, used alone or associated with particulated bone and bone substitutes, are stabilized by means of small bone screws. Conclusions. This study indicate that rehabilitation of atrophic mandible by advanced surgery techniques with bone grafts and dental implants constitute a treatment with a high success rate.